Crystal River current., 1887-04-09
WHITE HOUSE PLANTS.
Mrs. Cleveland strolling Among the
Additions to the Conservatery.

young wife of the president during her
hours of leisure from the demands of
her social duties is visit to the con-
servatories of the executive mansion,
sometimes alone and again with some
calling lady friend, to enjoy the select
ed beauties of plant life of the luxuri-
GUS and more ginial clmes of the
warmer zones. Since their internal
reconstruction and renovation last sum-
mer. writes Washington correspond ent
to The Philodelphia Times, the conserv-
atories under the intelligent care ofthe
experimenting florist. are amongst the
most attractive features of the execu-
tive mansion. The main conservatory,
which is entered from the promenade
corridor and the state dining-room, is
165 feet long and forty-eight feet wide
with sides and lofty double pitch roof
of glass. At the further endi wing
sixty feet long by thirty-two feet wide.
A promenade four feet wide and nearly
five hundred feet in length, paved with
artificial stone, extends around the
conservatories between the slate bench
cs, upon which rest in pots the rarest
plants, representing almost every vari-
ETY. OF size form and color of foliage
and flower, and affords the, convenience
of a delightful and pleasing stroll
among the charming fora of the lat
itndes near the equator.
The arrangement of the plants is
with reference 10 variety of foliage and
colors. AS the towering plants are
just coming into bloom the effect is
very fine, being suggestive OF the
volurtuous vegetation of the tropics.
Hl,f,1 1,li ,f l. 4
lind their visits particularly interesting
at this time. The collection is almost
exclusively for decorative purposes. 1t
embraces palms, crotons, dracenas, en-
thuriums, azaleas, carnations lilies,
camellias roses, and a long list of the
other mulliiud!nons var ,e,es of plants
attractive on account of their foliage OF
valuable for cut flowers. The plants
number about fifty thousand. In the
collection are many varieties of value
for the historic association or rarity.
The finest specimen OF the cyca revolula
or sage palm, the largest in the United
States. was brought from the West
Indies on one of the clippers of Il
wealthy Baltimore ship-owner, and pre-
sented to Gen. Washington, who placed
1t in his conservatory at Mount Vernon.
After his death it passed into other
years ago, was purchased for the execu-
tive mansion. There are also fine
specimens OF the bird s-nest fern of
Australia, one hundred varieties of
theamarsllis. many now in bloom,
several of the an,herium grandc, and
the beautiful phoine-cophorum or
sect.elleranum, II variety of palm.
The latest novelty is the enthurium
ventricolum, a new plant reared from
seed found secrcted among the roots
of an ORCHID brought from Brazil.
The seed developed into a large plant,
with slender pointed leaves three feet
long. The flower is large and of n
creamy-white hue, spotted and tinted
with maroon inside, and is as fragrant
as the magnolia gran,liilora 1t buds
mt the base of each one of the many
leaves which form a sort of crown.
There is also Il cscn from the Sand
wich Islands. sent as Il present bv Mrs.
Comfy when her husband was minister
resident at the court of that insular
Kingdom in the sol.tudes of the Pac iic
The acacia bubeXence in bloom is also
very beautiful Dur NO the drawing
rooms of Mrs. Cleveland and the levces
of the president the conservator es are
thrown open TO the visiting public, and
are greatly enjoyed by the ladies. The
most interesting feature of the collec-
zion are the orchids or air plants,
Their delicate flowers and tints usually
call forth 'rapturous admiration. The
collection of orchids is not the largest
nor the finest, that rank being held by
the collection of Mr.. Corning. of AL
bsny, the value of which is put down
at Sl5O,OO0 A greenhouse has been
devoted to the propagation and culture
r,f hns
lives of the plant kingdom. Every
season therefore finds new acquisitions
to the white house possessions in that
branch. and which some day will take
a leading place.
The florist of the executive mansion,
who has brought the ccnservateries up
to their present thrifty condition, is
Henry Phister. n Swiss. who learned
his art among flowers and plants under
Heusserman, the superintendent of the
conservatories and gardens of Rech-
berg, belonging TO the palace of the
opulent Banker Schultencss, of Zurich
He followed his art in Germany, France
and England, and came TO the United
States in 1872 and became florist on
the estate belonging to Jay Cooke at
Walnut Hill, in the suburbs of Cncin-
natl. His skill having attracted atten-,
ton. he was placed in charge of the
conservatories of the executive man
sion in 1877, and since that time has
made great improvements in the build
ings, collection of plants, and their ar
rangements. Out of the annual appro-
priation Of $4,000 the conservatories
have become source of Just pride to
the occupants of the executive mansion
and the visiting public on social occa-
sions.
The superb floral displays at the state
dinners and levees are the growth of
the conservatories, fashioned into deo.
orative arrangements and forms by the
florist in charge. The tables at the
state dinners during the present season